A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has reportedly adopted former President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole presidential aspirant for the 2027 general election following a screening exercise held in Abuja on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
The decision was announced during the faction’s presidential screening session, where officials said Jonathan was exempted from appearing before the panel due to his long record of public service.
A member of the screening committee, Babangida Aliyu, said the former president was granted a waiver based on his experience in government, noting that his political career already covered roles as deputy governor, governor, vice president and president.
According to him, the committee saw no need for further scrutiny, as the waiver effectively confirmed Jonathan as the faction’s preferred presidential option.
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“The party had already given our presidential aspirant the waiver. Like I said from the beginning, he was deputy governor, became governor, became vice president, became president, so we did not see anything that needed screening and therefore the party had given him waiver.
“In other words, he had been declared and cleared as the candidate of the PDP for the presidential election and that is President Jonathan,” Aliyu said.
The faction also approved a screening waiver for Taofeek Arapaja, a member of its Interim National Working Committee, who is contesting the Oyo State governorship election.
Other governorship aspirants screened and cleared by the committee include Myebangara Andrew (Adamawa), Ikenya Danlami (Taraba), Etanabene Benedict (Delta), and Abdullahi Sheriff (Yobe).
The development forms part of ongoing internal preparations within the PDP faction as political alignments intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.